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Supermarine Spitfire Mk L.F. IX MH434
MH434 is a Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX aircraft used in a number of motion pictures and television programmes. It is owned by the Old Flying Machine Company (OMFC)and operated from Duxford. Civil reg - G-ASJV History 'Warbird Registry' *Serial #: MH434 *Construction #: CBAF IX552 *Civil Registration: OO-ARA/G-ASJV *Model: LF Mk. IXb *Name: None *Status: Airworthy *Last info: 2003 *Delivered to Royal Netherlands AF as H-105 (later H-68). *- BOC: Feb. 19, 1947. *- SOC: 1953 *- Shipped to Java, N.E.I., May 1947-1950. *- Crash landed, Semarang, JAva, May 7, 1949. *- Shipped to Halland, rebuilt, 1950. *- First flight Mar. 10, 1953. *Delivered to Royal Belgian AF as SM-41. *- BOC: Oct. 9, 1953. *- SOC: 1954. *- Retired after accident, March 19, 1954. *COGEA Nouvelle, Keerbergen (later Ostend), Mar. 26, 1956-1963 *- Registered as OO-ARA. *Tim A. Davies, Elstree, June 29, 1963-1967. *- Registered as G-ASJV. *Gp Capt. T. G. Mahaddie/Film Aviation Services, Elstree, Nov. 1967-1969. *- Flew in movie "Battle Of Britain", 1968. *Adrian C. Swire, Booker & duxford, Feb. 1969-1983. *Ray G. Hanna/Nalfire Aviation Ltd, Duxford, Apr. 14, 1983-1987. *(Ray G. Hanna/The Old Flying Machine Co., Duxford, UK, 1987-2002. *- Flew as MH434/ZD-B (later SZ-G, PK-E). *- Operated by Brietling Fighters Team, 2001-2003. *- Flown as MH434/ZD-B, 2002.Warbird Registry ''Spitfire: The History *13 August 1943 - Assigned to 222 Squadron *September - Used to shoot down FW 190 *15 June 1944 - Passed to 84 Ground Service Unit *7 July - Repaired on site *27 July - Passed to 76 Maintenance Unit *17 March 1947 - Transferred to Royal Netherlands Air Force as H68 **Assigned to 332 Squadron RNAF *March 1953 - Passed to Belgian Air Force as SM-41Morgan, Eric. 2000. 'Military Airshows Website' Built Castle Bromwich August 1943. Air tested by Alex Henshaw. To 222 Sqn on August 19th. Flown in combat by South African pilot Flt Lt Henry Lardner-Burke, DFC (1916-1970, veteran of the siege of Malta, seven and a half kills, three damaged, retiring as a Wing Commander). On the 27 August in the St Omar area over France, Lardner-Burke shot down a Focke-Wulf FW-190 and damaged a second during a mission to escort USAAF B-17 bombers. On the 5 September 1943 Lardner-Burke and MH434 shot down another FW-190 in the Nieuport area, and on the 8 September 1943 claimed a half share in the downing of a Messerschmitt Bf-109G in Northern France. To 350 Sqn at Hornchurch in 1944 then returning to 222 Sqn, 84 Gp Support Unit and 349 Sqn. After 79 operational sorties, MH434 was retired in March 1945. Storage at 9 MU in 1945, moved to 76 MU for disposal in 1946. Sold to RNethAF in 1947, joined 322 Sqn in Java, test flown on October 10th and becoming H-105 and in 1948, H-68. After a belly landing on May 7th 1949, went into storage and returned to Holland, flying again on March 10th 1953, and passing to Belgian AF as SM-41 on October 9th at the Advanced Pilot School at Koksijde and with 13 Wing at Brustem. COGEA 1956-63 as OOARA then acquired by Tim Davies and to UK as G-ASJV. Moved to Stansted then Elstree for a full overhaul. Took part in it's first movie role, Operation Crossbow. Used in 'The Battle of Britain' film. Bought by Sir Adrian Swire, Chairman of Cathay Pacific Airways, in 1968, had the Spitfire painted in 1944 camouflage colour scheme with his initials AC-S, as squadron codes. There were several film and television appearances during this period, including “A Bridge Too Far”. It was also during this period (1970) that Ray Hanna's long association and famous partnership with the aircraft began. Sold it at an auction in April 1983. Its new owner was the Nalfire Aviation Ltd consortium headed by Ray Hanna. It is now operated by Hanna's Old Flying Machine Company (OFMC) based at Duxford. It underwent a major rebuild in 1994-95. MH434 is flown in its authentic RAF 222 Squadron codes ZD-B. The name 'Mylcraine' is that of 'Pat' Lardner-Burke's wife, and it bears his kill tally as of August 43. Military Airshows website 'Other sources' * May 1989 - Used to represent the 'Mayfield Kestral' in the TV adaptation of the Hercule Poirot story '''The Incredible Theft ' by Agatha Christie. (IMDB) * 2012 - Used as backdrop for RAF Pilots song video in Season 4 episode of Horrible Histories.YouTube Gallery Spit02-mh434.jpg 6346403214_4d2207a64a_z.jpg spit-mh434.jpg spit-mh434-2.jpg spit-mh434-4.jpg References Category:British Aircraft Category:Fighter aircraft Category:Supermarine Spitfire Survivors Category:Airworthy Category:Supermarine aircraft Category:UK Based